Behind the frothy platitudes in Parliament by the Alliance For Change (AFC) and the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), lies a trail of human misery and desolation.
This was the opinion expressed by several state employees who spoke with Guyana Times International in the wake of the combined opposition’s “chopping spree” on the 2012 National Budget. “Ruthless” and “despicable” just to flex their political muscles on the government were some of the sentiments expressed.
Roopnarine Sammi, a Government Information Agency (GINA) Information Technology Officer flayed the decision taken by the combined opposition to lop off over Gy$ 20 billion from the budget.
Kawise Wishart
“Among the thousands of youths unemployed in Guyana, right now I am one of them because I have no job… I think what the opposition is trying to do is hurt the government but they are also hurting innocent people and people who are earning a daily living. It’s unfair.
According to the affected employees, both APNU and AFC have no heart for ordinary workers, pointing out that they did not even try to trim the allocations to their agencies, but saw it fit to bask in comfort and put them on the breadline.
Kavita Ganpat, who works as a secretary at the entity was nonplussed at the opposition’s hypocrisy. “I can remember Mr Granger saying that he will create job opportunities for young people but right now he is not doing that so I don’t know what I am going to do.” “I wish the Youth Coalition for Transformation (YCT) that was so vocal during the elections would speak up now. Aren’t we youths?”
Anil Seelall
Kawise Wishart, a cameraman/ video editor expressed similar sentiments. “The opposition speaks of the new dispensation. If this is the new dispensation for the youths of Guyana who are employed by government agencies, this is not the new dispensation for the youths of Guyana. This is going to lead us into days where it will be dark for us and our families… I’m a father; my daughter depends on me for everything… is this creating jobs Mr Granger and Mr Ramjattan?
“Coming from a single parent home, it will be really hard to go home and tell my mom that I will not be able to maintain her and my other brothers, taking into consideration that this is my first job since I was trained at the Kuru Kuru Training Centre. What will I go and tell her?” a young cameraman Anil Seelall asked as his future was plunged into uncertainty.
Fabian Clowes
Most of the fired workers have found it difficult to comprehend how the opposition members with families would sleep knowing that they have voted to take bread from the mouths of innocent workers and their families, something they would never entertain for their own families.
Fabian Clowes, a long serving communications officer said irrespective of the political arguments put forward, the fact remains that people are out of jobs, noting that the opposition appears to now extend their hostility to poor state workers.
“This budget cut will affect me and my family and I just get a young one-month and two-days old child, and I don’t know how she is going to survive now without a job…”
“I don’t know what will happen now, one employee who gave his name as Leroy said.
His colleague, Shaundell, who appeared broken by the decision said, “I would like to say thanks to Mr Ramjattan for putting me on the bread line. I have three kids, I have a house loan to pay, I have a lot of bills on my head. I would just like to say thank you very much.”
Many ex-workers also found it bewildering that Khemraj Ramjattan of the AFC in partnership with David Granger of the APNU will cut the allocations to their agencies when there is no financial crisis in the country.
“I think it’s very unfair – what was done because now most of us here are young people, what are we supposed to go and do now?” Tekia Higgins, a communications officer lamented.
“I am the sole breadwinner for my family. I have three persons at home depending on me,” another communications officer Ursulla Ramdayal said as she tried to hold back tears, noting that AFC/ APNU now appears to be the deciders of who should eat and who should not. “Is this what some people voted them in for?” she asked plaintively.
Kapil Dev Singh, an information technology officer, who appeared dejected and broken said, “I feel it’s really disappointing. What are we going to do with our lives now? What they want us to do now – thief, borrow, beg, drink rum and smoke?”
Ramjattan in explaining the decision by the opposition deemed the cuts affecting ordinary state workers as “collateral damage” with Carl Greenidge of the APNU saying the coalition has no apology for its action.
Comments are closed.